During certain surgical procedures, body tissue such as organs can obstruct an area a surgeon needs accessible for surgery. Relocating the tissue during all or part of the procedure can allow a surgeon to access an otherwise obstructed part of the body. The tissue may also need to be relocated to reduce chances of it being damaged as work is being done on another, nearby part of the body.
Tissue retractors have been developed that allow some movement of tissue in a body cavity during a surgical procedure. For example, a tissue retractor may be inserted into the body through an incision, and it can be used to push tissue aside to provide access to an underlying area. Current retractors include a rigid fan-type design, a spoon or fork-like device, or an inflatable bladder. While such tissue retractors can move tissue, they typically move small amounts of tissue and are difficult or impossible to keep in a fixed position during use without constant human interaction. In addition, many known tissue retractors that are suitable for use with open surgical procedures are not well suited to minimally invasive procedures such as endoscopic procedures.
Accordingly, there remains a need for improved methods and devices for manipulating tissue.